Frequent Flyer Flew 200 Flights In A Year To Rob Passengers’ Cabin Bags; Used Deceased Brother’s Identity

If you think getting pickpocketed on a flight or at the airport is a rarity, then think again! In a bizarre case, a 40-year-old frequent flyer flew 200 flights in a year just to steal his co-passengers’ cabin bags. The man travelled on 3 to 4 sorties in a day, targetting elderly women as he believed they carried valuables in their cabin bags. Read on to know how he was nabbed.

Frequent Flyer Flew 3-4 Flights In A Day To Rob Passengers

A Times Of India report highlighted an unusual yet concerning situation that happened on several flights. 40-year-old Rajesh Kapoor, a frequent flyer flew 200 flights in a year with 3 to 4 flights in a day to steal from passengers. The man even bought a hotel in central Delhi to use his ‘frequent flyer miles.’ The police finally caught the perpetrator when he targeted two people flying from Delhi to the USA and allegedly stole their jewellery worth lakhs of rupees.

DCP (airport) Usha Rangnani stated to TOI that the targets couldn’t notice the theft immediately. Moreover, she informed that Kapoor would stalk passengers flying on connecting flights and target elderly women carrying handbags. He meticulously planned his move and used his deceased brother’s identity documents to book tickets. Kapoor stole from flyers either during boarding or mid-air.

Taking advantage of the chaos during boarding, Kapoor would secretly rummage through overhead cabins and steal valuables from handbags of unsuspecting passengers. At times he even exchanged seats to sit next to his target. The DCP stated that he carefully timed his move to coincide with the chaos that ensued during the boarding process.

Also Read: Bengaluru Airport: Roof Of Terminal 2 Leaked Due To Heavy Rainfall; Over 10 Flights Rerouted

He Used Deceased Brother’s Identity Documents To Book Tickets

As per TOI, the man in 2005 stole from passengers travelling in AC coach trains. But later decided to take to the skies. Kapoor got under the radar of the police following police complaints from two passengers over two months. A US citizen travelling on an Amritsar-Delhi Air India flight lodged a police complaint on February 22. A Hyderabad-Delhi Air India passenger lodged a complaint on April 11. Both said they lost jewellery placed in their cabin bags.

Also Read: Delhi Dust Storm: 9 Flights Diverted, IMD Issues Advisory & Other Updates From NCR

The officers went through CCTV footage from over 100 cameras and finally traced the suspect. While Kapoor’s phone number obtained from the airline turned out to be fake, through technical surveillance they traced his location to Paharganj. They found his photograph and circulated it on social media platforms. Rajesh Kapoor turned out to be a hotel owner in that area. The police arrested Kapoor and said he might be linked to 11 similar cases. They also arrested his accomplice, 46-year-old Sharad Jain who helped him sell the stolen goods.

Meanwhile, have you ever been robbed at an airport or on a flight?

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva